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Microsoft Corporation Software Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Updated 19 Mar 2025

146 Interview questions

A Software Developer was asked 8mo ago
Q. Given an integer array nums and an integer k, return the kth largest element in the array.
Ans. 

Find the kth largest element in an array of integers using efficient algorithms.

  • Use a max-heap to extract the largest elements efficiently. Example: For array [3, 2, 1, 5, 6, 4] and k=2, return 5.

  • Alternatively, use quickselect algorithm for average O(n) time complexity. Example: In the same array, quickselect can find the 2nd largest.

  • Sorting the array and accessing the kth largest directly is simple but O(n log n)...

🔥 Asked by recruiter 2 times
A Software Developer was asked 8mo ago
Q. Given an m x n 2D binary grid grid which represents a map of '1's (land) and '0's (water), return the number of islands. An island is surrounded by water and is formed by connecting adjacent lands horizonta...
Ans. 

Count distinct islands in a grid of '1's (land) and '0's (water) using DFS or BFS.

  • Use Depth-First Search (DFS) or Breadth-First Search (BFS) to explore the grid.

  • Mark visited land cells to avoid counting them multiple times.

  • Each time you start a new DFS/BFS from an unvisited land cell, increment the island count.

  • Example: For grid [['1', '1', '0'], ['0', '1', '0'], ['0', '0', '1']], there are 2 islands.

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A Software Developer was asked 9mo ago
Q. Why do you want to join Microsoft?
Ans. 

I want to join Microsoft to contribute to innovative projects, grow my skills, and be part of a diverse and impactful team.

  • Microsoft's commitment to innovation aligns with my passion for cutting-edge technology, like AI and cloud computing.

  • The opportunity to work on products that impact millions, such as Azure and Office 365, excites me.

  • I admire Microsoft's focus on diversity and inclusion, fostering a collaborati...

A Software Developer was asked 9mo ago
Q. What is your long-term goal?
Ans. 

My long-term goal is to become a lead software architect, driving innovative solutions and mentoring future developers.

  • Aim to deepen my expertise in software design patterns and architecture principles.

  • Aspire to lead a team of developers on large-scale projects, like building a cloud-based application.

  • Plan to contribute to open-source projects to enhance my skills and give back to the community.

  • Seek opportunities ...

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A Software Developer was asked 10mo ago
Q. Tell me about graphs.
Ans. 

A graph is a data structure that consists of nodes (vertices) connected by edges.

  • Nodes represent entities and edges represent relationships between entities

  • Graphs can be directed or undirected

  • Common graph algorithms include depth-first search and breadth-first search

A Software Developer was asked 10mo ago
Q. Describe a code optimization problem you solved by reducing time complexity.
Ans. 

Optimizing code for reduced time complexity by using efficient algorithms and data structures.

  • Use efficient data structures like hash tables, binary search trees, or priority queues.

  • Avoid nested loops and try to reduce the number of iterations.

  • Utilize dynamic programming or memoization to store and reuse intermediate results.

  • Consider using bitwise operations for certain calculations.

  • Optimize recursive functions by...

A Software Developer was asked
Q. Design a logger.
Ans. 

A logger captures and stores application events for debugging and monitoring purposes.

  • Log Levels: Define levels like DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, and FATAL for categorizing logs.

  • Output Formats: Support multiple formats (e.g., JSON, plain text) for flexibility.

  • Log Rotation: Implement log rotation to manage file sizes and prevent disk overflow.

  • Asynchronous Logging: Use asynchronous methods to avoid blocking application...

Are these interview questions helpful?
A Software Developer was asked
Q. When was the C language developed?
Ans. 

C language was developed in 1972.

  • Developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs.

  • First appeared in 1972.

  • Influential in the development of many other programming languages like C++, Java, and Python.

A Software Developer was asked
Q. What is the use of the printf() and scanf() functions?
Ans. 

printf() is used to print formatted output to the screen, while scanf() is used to read formatted input from the user.

  • printf() is used to display output on the screen in a formatted way.

  • scanf() is used to read input from the user in a formatted way.

  • Example: printf("Hello, World!"); will display 'Hello, World!' on the screen.

  • Example: scanf("%d", &num); will read an integer input from the user and store it in 'num'.

A Software Developer was asked
Q. Who is the founder of the C language?
Ans. 

The founder of C language is Dennis Ritchie.

  • Dennis Ritchie is the creator of the C programming language.

  • He developed C language at Bell Labs in the early 1970s.

  • C language is widely used for system programming and developing other programming languages.

Microsoft Corporation Software Developer Interview Experiences

63 interviews found

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Coding Test 

LeetCode , hard questions on dynamic programming, graphs, and more.

Round 2 - Coding Test 

DSA, Cn, os, DBMS, ML

Round 3 - One-on-one 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Is relocation a possibility for this position?
  • Q2. Senior role is there
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Hard
Process Duration
4-6 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I applied via LinkedIn and was interviewed in Jul 2024. There were 3 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

It was bsed on DP, Trees and Graphs

Round 2 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. DSA based question
  • Q2. Code optimization problem with reduced time complexity
  • Ans. 

    Optimizing code for reduced time complexity by using efficient algorithms and data structures.

    • Use efficient data structures like hash tables, binary search trees, or priority queues.

    • Avoid nested loops and try to reduce the number of iterations.

    • Utilize dynamic programming or memoization to store and reuse intermediate results.

    • Consider using bitwise operations for certain calculations.

    • Optimize recursive functions by elim...

  • Answered by AI
Round 3 - One-on-one 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Questions about projects
  • Q2. Topics like dbms, os, cn

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Study core topics and do hard level problems on leetcode

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Hard
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Selected Selected

I appeared for an interview in Feb 2025, where I was asked the following questions.

  • Q1. Tell me about yourself.
  • Q2. Hello world this is just a mandatory question to put in this dont take this seriously

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - nothing this is just for accessing the ambitionbox website dont take it seriously guys

Software Developer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Tarun Jaiswal

posted on 30 Nov 2024

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Coding Test 

DSA, Graph, DP, Arrays

Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
2-4 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I applied via Referral and was interviewed in Apr 2024. There were 4 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

OA Test with 2 medium level questions

Round 2 - Technical 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Similar to kth largest element in array
  • Ans. 

    Find the kth largest element in an array of integers using efficient algorithms.

    • Use a max-heap to extract the largest elements efficiently. Example: For array [3, 2, 1, 5, 6, 4] and k=2, return 5.

    • Alternatively, use quickselect algorithm for average O(n) time complexity. Example: In the same array, quickselect can find the 2nd largest.

    • Sorting the array and accessing the kth largest directly is simple but O(n log n). Exa...

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. Similar to no. of islands of leetcode
  • Ans. 

    Count distinct islands in a grid of '1's (land) and '0's (water) using DFS or BFS.

    • Use Depth-First Search (DFS) or Breadth-First Search (BFS) to explore the grid.

    • Mark visited land cells to avoid counting them multiple times.

    • Each time you start a new DFS/BFS from an unvisited land cell, increment the island count.

    • Example: For grid [['1', '1', '0'], ['0', '1', '0'], ['0', '0', '1']], there are 2 islands.

  • Answered by AI
Round 3 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Machine Coding Round on your domain
Round 4 - HR 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. General HR questions were asked
Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Process Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Not Selected

I applied via Referral and was interviewed in Apr 2024. There were 2 interview rounds.

Round 1 - Coding Test 

2 problem related to graphs and dynamic programming 45min I was given to solve I was able to solve both of them and got shortlisted for the next round.

Round 2 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Started with Basic introduction about myself and my experiences then moved directly to a problem from leetcode based on hashing + sliding window I was able to provide the solution.

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Prepare well for Data structures and algorithms prepare well for you role and responsibility .

Software Developer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Pranav Chaudhary

posted on 28 Nov 2024

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - HR 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Why should we hire you
  • Ans. 

    I have a strong technical background, excellent problem-solving skills, and a passion for software development.

    • I have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and 5 years of experience in software development.

    • I have successfully completed multiple projects using various programming languages such as Java, Python, and JavaScript.

    • I am a quick learner and always eager to expand my knowledge and skills in the field of softw...

  • Answered by AI

Software Developer Interview Questions & Answers

user image Shubham Singh

posted on 23 Sep 2024

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-

I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed in Aug 2024. There was 1 interview round.

Round 1 - HR 

(2 Questions)

  • Q1. Tell me about yourself
  • Ans. 

    I am a passionate software developer with experience in Java, Python, and web development.

    • Experienced in Java, Python, and web development technologies

    • Strong problem-solving skills

    • Team player with excellent communication skills

  • Answered by AI
  • Q2. About dsa and opps

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - good preparation of dsa
Interview experience
4
Good
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Coding Test 

1 hr wide varitey of question

Round 2 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Tell me about graph
  • Ans. 

    A graph is a data structure that consists of nodes (vertices) connected by edges.

    • Nodes represent entities and edges represent relationships between entities

    • Graphs can be directed or undirected

    • Common graph algorithms include depth-first search and breadth-first search

  • Answered by AI

Interview Preparation Tips

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - be prepared

Skills evaluated in this interview

Interview experience
5
Excellent
Difficulty level
-
Process Duration
-
Result
-
Round 1 - Resume Shortlist 
Pro Tip by AmbitionBox:
Keep your resume crisp and to the point. A recruiter looks at your resume for an average of 6 seconds, make sure to leave the best impression.
View all tips
Round 2 - Coding Test 

2 easy level machine coding round.

Round 3 - One-on-one 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. 2 coding questions, one dp and another linked list.
Round 4 - One-on-one 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. 1 coding question on graph
Round 5 - One-on-one 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Design question. Design a logger.
  • Ans. 

    A logger captures and stores application events for debugging and monitoring purposes.

    • Log Levels: Define levels like DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR, and FATAL for categorizing logs.

    • Output Formats: Support multiple formats (e.g., JSON, plain text) for flexibility.

    • Log Rotation: Implement log rotation to manage file sizes and prevent disk overflow.

    • Asynchronous Logging: Use asynchronous methods to avoid blocking application perf...

  • Answered by AI
Round 6 - Technical 

(1 Question)

  • Q1. Techno managerial round.

Microsoft Corporation Interview FAQs

How many rounds are there in Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview?
Microsoft Corporation interview process usually has 2-3 rounds. The most common rounds in the Microsoft Corporation interview process are Coding Test, Technical and One-on-one Round.
How to prepare for Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview?
Go through your CV in detail and study all the technologies mentioned in your CV. Prepare at least two technologies or languages in depth if you are appearing for a technical interview at Microsoft Corporation. The most common topics and skills that interviewers at Microsoft Corporation expect are AWS, Cloud, Compliance, Computer science and Infrastructure.
What are the top questions asked in Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview?

Some of the top questions asked at the Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview -

  1. A file or a directory can be represented as a node. The node has properties lik...read more
  2. You are given infinite sequence of continuos natural numbers-1,2,3,4,5,6.........read more
  3. Which of the following numbers cannot be represented accurately in > binary? > ...read more
How long is the Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview process?

The duration of Microsoft Corporation Software Developer interview process can vary, but typically it takes about less than 2 weeks to complete.

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Overall Interview Experience Rating

4.4/5

based on 30 interview experiences

Difficulty level

Easy 14%
Moderate 50%
Hard 36%

Duration

Less than 2 weeks 71%
2-4 weeks 21%
4-6 weeks 7%
View more
Microsoft Corporation Software Developer Salary
based on 1.1k salaries
₹24.7 L/yr - ₹45 L/yr
231% more than the average Software Developer Salary in India
View more details

Microsoft Corporation Software Developer Reviews and Ratings

based on 92 reviews

4.3/5

Rating in categories

4.1

Skill development

4.4

Work-life balance

4.0

Salary

4.1

Job security

4.2

Company culture

3.8

Promotions

3.9

Work satisfaction

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